QUESTION: Who should be prescribed methadone?

ANSWER: methadone is often prescribed by doctors to patients who the physician feels will truly benefit from the use of the drug. This includes those who suffer from certain types of debilitating chronic pain as well as those who have suffered from chronic dependency on opiates and heroin. It is up to the prescribing physician to determine whether or not an individual is a good candidate for methadone either for the treatment of pain or as a maintenance treatment for heroin or opiate addiction.

QUESTION: What is the ideal dose of methadone?

A methadone doctor can determine the appropriate treatment plan for your needs.

ANSWER: as with any medication, methadone doses are prescribed by a doctor based on a number of factors including height, weight and age of the patient, level of pain or severity of the addiction being controlled or maintained. On average, most patients who are in a methadone maintenance treatment program will take somewhere between 80-100 mg of methadone each day based on the physician’s assessment of the patient needs.

QUESTION: How long is methadone maintenance treatment?

ANSWER: maintenance treatment can take many months and could last years depending on the severity of the addiction, the patient needs, patient desires to quit using completely and other factors. A prescribing physician will tell you that methadone will be taken indefinitely to maintain and control cravings for other drugs such as heroin or opiate painkillers. It does not cure addiction and therefor may be taken for many years.

The contents of the MethadoneCenters.com web site (the “Site”) are for informational purposes only. The Information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, tests or treatment, and does not create a physician-patient relationship.